<b>North Jersey</b>

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale traveled to the Ottawa River, a trophy musky fishery, for three days, he said in an e-mail. He landed a 32-inch musky, lost a 40-incher at the boat and scored two follows. A few small northern pike were also reeled in. The musky that was caught smacked a 9-inch Widowmaker Glide Bait. The fish had a big stomach, had eaten something. Muskies are known for feeding then refusing to bite. But the fish hit anyway. The river, in Quebec, Canada, is rated No. 5 all-time best musky waters, Dave said. Most of the river’s muskies are huge, like 56 or 59 inches, weighing 50 to 60 pounds. Back at home, Dave’s been nailing success on muskies at lakes, covered in previous reports. He’ll resume the angling and other fishing, like trolling for walleyes, when he returns from Quebec. Live to Fish Guide Service guides trips for trout, muskies, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleyes, crappies, chain pickerel, panfish, yellow perch, white perch, carp and more. Lakes fished include Greenwood Lake, Lake Hopatcong, Monksville Reservoir, Echo Lake, Mountain Lake and Furnace Lake. Rivers fished include the Flatbrook, Pequest, Paulinskill and Ramapo.

Ben from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna tried fishing Delaware River at Milford for smallmouth bass from shore, but the angling was terrible, and he caught nothing, he said. That was the first time that happened this season for him, and water levels weren’t high, weren’t bad, but had just come down from  being up. Maybe that “threw off” the fish, he said. Ben lake fished for largemouth bass in mornings, coming up with no spectacular action, but catches, on lures like rubber creature baits worked along bottom. Nothing was heard about fishing at Lake Hopatcong or similar big lakes, and that seemed to mean nothing exceptional was happening at the waters. When anglers targeted those waters, they mostly fished at night.

Hybrid striped bass to 9 pounds were socked on livelined herring off the main lake’s points, including Elba and Pickerel points, and in Byram Cove, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Lots of largemouth and smallmouth bass chewed, and Kaleb Williams checked in a smallie just under 2 pounds. A mess of crappies jumped on small jigs or fathead minnows. Panfish gobbled worms in the shallows. Catfish began to bite, and Tom Facciola weighed in a 13-pound 1-ounce channel cat, and Charlie McBridge brought in a 12-pound 5-ounce channel. The Knee Deep Club’s catfish tournament will be held Saturday and Sunday on the lake.

Smallmouth bass and northern pike, “nothing crazy,” said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield, but catches, came from Passaic River at Twin Bridges. Good catches of smallmouths were sometimes heard about from the river below the falls. Pike were punched from Pompton Lake around dusk, and a buddy jigged good fishing for largemouth bass on the river at Pompton some weeks ago. A few customers fished for smallmouth bass on Ramapo River on Keitechs and Senkos. A friend’s son clapped three or four walleyes at Swartswood Lake on drifted, livelined herring at night in 12-foot depths. Overall, anglers were connecting, but waters were warm, slowing fishing. Greenwood Lake was 82 degrees.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Several serious fly anglers said they weren’t trout fishing in the warm waters, said Darrel from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. But the water level was good on Musconetcong River, though the river was probably 75 or 78 degrees. So Darrel gave trouting a shot there, nymphing and dry-fly fishing. Nothing bit except a sunfish that was landed. No trout, not even a flash, were seen. Smallmouth bass fishing seemed to slow down in the warmth at places like Raritan River. Darrel had been angling and releasing small striped bass on the Raritan at New Brunswick. He sent a friend fishing there this week, looking for the stripers with poppers. But none of the small pockets of fish remained. The stripers were gone. Josh from the shop landed a largemouth bass in the Delaware and Raritan Canal at New Brunswick on a buzz bait.

A couple of customers geared up to fish Manasquan Reservoir, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. A few hybrid striped bass and largemouth bass could be tugged from the rez in about 15-foot depths on killies drifted along bottom. Crappies swam around the trees in the impoundment. A couple of other customers were headed to the Toms River at Trilco. Chain pickerel bit there. Tiny striped bass 10 or 12 inches could be played in the area. Trilco is a building supply that’s closed down, and no sign identifies the building, but it’s located near the Garden State Parkway. Bluegills and sunnies were wormed at Ocean County College Pond. Killies and nightcrawlers are stocked. No shiners will be stocked a moment during this height of summer. Shiners will probably be carried again starting at the end of the month.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Largemouth bass were top-water plugged or popper-lured in mornings at local lakes including Assunpink, said David from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. The fish were also Carolina-rigged, on rubber worms or creature baits. Spinner baits began to catch them, too. Delaware River’s fishing was mostly slow. But walleyes were hung along the river’s bridges at dusk.

Mostly largemouth bass and catfish were targeted, said Tom P. at <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Largemouths were wacky-rigged on 4-inch Yum Dingers in pearl with silver flake, including at Assunpink, Gropp’s, Stone Tavern, Crystal and Sylvan lakes, at dawn and dusk. Or they were 5-inch-Senko-wormed, in green pumpkin with black flake, at the same waters during those times. Good fishing for channel cats was cracked at Assunpink and Delaware River on chicken livers, dead shiners or Gulp catfish chunks. Northern pike, some of them 12 pounds, were on the bite at first light at Budd Lake on large Strike King spinner baits. Little was heard about smallmouth bass, but maybe a few were managed from Union Lake and Lake Audrey. Customers sometimes stopped by who were headed there. Hybrid striped bass, great catches, were honked at Spruce Run Reservoir at night. Nothing was heard about walleyes. Hardly anyone trout fished, but Tom filmed a TV show on Musconetcong River, pasting lots of trout at Stephens State Park and all along Route 57. He banked them on white Gulp maggots that were a dead ringer for caddis larvae, if the case were peeled back, and also fished a few nightcrawlers to catch.   

Lots of catfish and carp milled around Delaware River, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. A few largemouth bass were yanked from the river and the mouths of small tributaries like Mantua Creek, mostly in evenings or at dark. On the lakes, largemouths were mostly beaten on plastics. Newton Lake gave up the fish, usually none big, but catches. Greenwich Lake turned out quality bass catches and crappies. A bunch of crappies and a few bass were slung in from Wilson Lake. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from lakes to offshore.

Kids plucking sunnies on meal worms under bobbers was the  main affair during this peak of summer, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. They caught at the spillway across the road from Blackwood Lake, Grenloch Lake and Puppyland Lake. Ed in last week’s report had mentioned small, 1-pound largemouth bass, but lots, reported caught from Penbryn Lake. But nobody mentioned the fishing this week. Nobody mentioned much about any fishing except about the sunnies.

Nothing’s really on fire, except the water, said Vince from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. In the warmth, fish for largemouth bass slowly with plastics, or dunk nightcrawlers for them. Mornings and evenings will be best, without a doubt. If moving waters can be fished, that will be better. Streams or rivers or the mouths of them at lakes will cool and oxygenate waters. No particular lakes were talked about. Just the usual waters like South Vineland Park Pond. Parvin’s Lake probably remained closed since the storm weeks ago that knocked down trees and took out electricity. But when anglers can return to Parvin’s, the fishing might be something, because nobody pressured the fish. Chain pickerel will bite in the lakes, and always do, no matter warmth or cold. Sunnies and bluegills love the heat and will be active. From saltwater, news was scarce from Delaware Bay. Weakfish could probably be boated from the bay, but the one-fish bag limit was no incentive. Crabbing was good, one of the best seasons for crabbing in some time.

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